Children as young as 12 believe celebrities and influencers who are paid to promote gambling are making the practice seem safe, normal, attractive and fun, according to a new study.
The study, funded by the Australian Research Council, heard from children who believed the use of stars such as the former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal in ads were making their peers more likely to consider gambling.
The researchers, from Deakin, Wollongong and Curtin universities, said the comments from the children surveyed demonstrate the need for strict advertising restrictions to “prevent the next generation from gambling harm”.
The federal government has been considering the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which called for a comprehensive ban on ads and criticised celebrity endorsements.
